Hungary

There are currently no store cards in circulation in Hungary. Magyar Cetelem Bank stopped offering store cards in 2008 and no retailers have since signalled any intention to relaunch such services. Instead, retailers are collaborating with banks to…

Volume sales of computers were impacted by several negative factors in 2023, including high maturity. Also, the surge in volume sales during the pandemic as people hurriedly tried to set up home offices meant that computers bought during that period…

High inflation affected volume sales of consumer electronics in Hungary in 2023. While strong value growth was recorded, overall volume sales were flat, with a weaker performance in the first half of the year. Strong demand for consumer electronics…

Whilst premium wireless headbands were popular during COVID-19 as they had more convenient features for both work and gaming, high inflation and rising prices deterred consumers from paying extra for them in 2023, therefore mass products performed…

Home audio and cinema recorded strong volume decline in 2023 as these products faced competition from wireless sound systems, the increasing sound quality of portable computers and smartphones, and a growing preference for compact and interior…

Televisions recorded slight volume growth in 2023, with OLED TVs seeing strong double-digit growth as consumers looked to upgrade their older televisions with screens offering high picture and sound quality, which are light and have more…

Volume sales of imaging devices again fell by a fifth in 2023 and value sales also registered decline. Continuing advances in smartphones’ cameras are leading to continual decline in imaging devices, to the extent that some smartphones can meet the…

In-car entertainment recorded further decline in 2023, negatively impacted by fewer sales of new cars due to a shortage of key parts and components needed for their manufacture, which also drove up prices in the year. Consumers had to wait a long…

Significant price rises and a high penetration rate in Hungary resulted in volume decline in smartphones in 2023. Fewer consumers were able to replace their smartphone and chose to postpone their purchases until prices were more stable, or they…

Portable players were hard to find in retail channels in 2023 and their sales were negligible as technology advances are leading to portable player devices becoming obsolete. In particular smartphone and tablets are replacing the need for portable…

Activity watches (analogue) were increasingly popular and recorded the highest volume growth in 2023 as these products are readily available and consumers prefer them to other activity bands without displays and traditional watches as they offer…

A low tax burden adds to Hungary’s economic freedom, but corruption remains an issue and state finances are under pressure. Economic performance has outpaced peers and unemployment is low, but inflation remains very high and will adversely impact…

The low cost carriers category looks set to record faster growth in current value sales than its full service counterpart in Hungary in 2023. This is partly because due to their focus on offering more affordable fares, leading low cost operators such…

Hungarians traditionally pay close attention to foreign exchange rates when planning trips abroad, particularly summer holidays, as fluctuations can cause travel expenses to increase significantly in a short period of time. This was the case…

Much like Budapest, smaller cities and regional areas in Hungary have witnessed significant increases in lodging supply in recent years, particularly since the easing of the pandemic and the ending of related restrictions. A key driver of growth in…

Growth in the number of outbound departures from Hungary in 2023 looks set to be well down on the previous year. This is mainly explained by the ongoing normalisation of travel flows following the strong rebound over 2021-2022 that resulted from the…

The Hungarian travel market has performed positively on the whole in 2023. Inbound, outbound and domestic trip numbers have increased strongly and come closer to their pre-pandemic levels, with diminishing concerns about COVID-19 and the ending of…

From October 2022, the government cut national support for milk formulas from 50% to 25%. This resulted in two-three times higher prices, with standard and special milk formulas having seen a rapid price increase during 2023. Many mothers still buy…

The increased price of baked goods and pastries, combined with the popularity of chef shows on TV and social media, has driven the popularity of baking at home. This is increasing retail volume sales of margarine and the moderate retail volume…

Following high double-digit price growth in 2022, the slight price decrease in 2023 positively influenced the retail volume growth of this market. However, cheese remains a product that is considered a non-basic food item by many, and as such, it is…

With inflation at over 25% in the first quarter of 2023, Hungary experienced the 10th-highest food-related price increase in the world. The high unit price in dairy products and alternatives was bolstered by the international price increase of raw…

In November 2022, the government placed a price cap on selected basic food, and the regulation was extended until 30 June 2023. The 2.8% fat content UHT cow milk was among the food with frozen prices, leading to minimal single-digit growth for the…

The international price of raw milk decreased in 2023, which resulted in a slight price compensation for sour cream and other dairy products. Besides, in order to break sanctioned inflation, the government introduced a new anti-inflation tool, which…

As in many countries, Hungary is seeing a notable rise in interest in plant-based diets, with many consumers looking to cut down their consumption of meat and dairy products, even if they are not fully committing to vegetarian or vegan diets.…

The leading market players' sales figures showed that customers preferred products that supported the immune system during the pandemic. This demand continued during 2023, with Actimel retaining a prominent position in the drinking yoghurt market.…

As consumption patterns continue to stabilise following three years of pandemic-induced disruption, the majority of analgesics categories in Hungary are projected to contract in volume terms in 2023. Rates of decline in most look set to be modest,…

While consumer health in Hungary is set to post robust growth in total current value sales in 2023, this is primarily due to inflationary pressures fuelled by the global recovery from the pandemic, the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the…

Most cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies categories in Hungary are set to expand in volume terms in 2023 or record slower rates of decline than in 2022. Similar to the case with analgesics, the need for these products has been bolstered by…

All dermatologicals categories in Hungary are expected to post negative results in volume terms in 2023, in most cases for the second year in a row. Although a number of different factors have depressed demand in individual categories, the overall…

Growth in dietary supplements current value sales in 2023 is expected to be slower than in 2022, while the vast majority of categories are set to contract in volume terms for a second consecutive year. With Hungary experiencing the highest inflation…

While digestive remedies is poised to post robust growth in total current value sales in 2023, this is mainly due to substantial price hikes amidst persistently high inflation in Hungary. All categories are set to contract in volume terms, in part…

With high inflation continuing to drive up unit prices and weaken purchasing power among Hungarians, eye care is set to see total volume sales contract for a second consecutive year in 2023. However, the rate of decline should be slower than that…

Although overall current value growth for herbal/traditional products in 2023 is set to equal that recorded in 2022, this is mainly due to price hikes amidst soaring inflation in Hungary. With the resultant drop in purchasing power making people much…

In keeping with the trend witnessed throughout the review period, total volume sales of NRT smoking cessation aids have continued to contract in 2023, with all categories set to post negative results in this respect. This is partly explained by the…

Most paediatric consumer health categories are expected to contract in volume terms in 2023. This is partly due to persistently high inflation in Hungary, with steep price hikes and falling purchasing power making people more inclined to only…

While sleep aids is poised to record strong growth in current value sales in 2023, this is mainly due to price hikes amidst high inflation fuelled by the global recovery from COVID-19 and the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. With inflationary…

Sports nutrition has remained one of the best performing areas of Hungary’s consumer health market in 2023, with strong double-digit growth in total current value sales projected and all categories poised to register impressive results in volume…

Vitamins is set to record negative results in volume and current value terms for the second year in a row in 2023. While overall consumption of these products in Hungary surged during the early stages of the pandemic due to increased…

Although weight management and wellbeing is set to register another solid performance in terms of total current value sales growth in 2023, this is largely due to steep price hikes resulting from persistently high inflation in Hungary. With the…

As occurred in 2022, wound care is set to post moderate growth in current value sales in 2023 but contract in volume terms. These results are explained by persistently high inflation in Hungary, which has continued to erode spending power among…

Only commercial charge cards are available in Hungary in 2023, with personal charge cards no longer available. Moreover, commercial charge cards are only offered to top corporate executives and senior managers and there are no indications that this…

As inflation continues to rise, an increasing number of households find themselves in a financially precarious situation at the end of the month or salary payment periods. The impact of inflation bites into monthly budgets, leading to higher expenses…

The initial optimism of early 2022 was abruptly dampened by the end of the year, and this has persisted throughout 2023. The sharp rise in borrowing costs coupled with a decline in disposable incomes due to high inflation has compelled Hungarians to…

The loan repayment moratorium for vulnerable borrowers, including credit card owners, to cope with the negative economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic was extended to the end of 2022, but was not renewed in 2023. Meanwhile, high interest…

With the merger of Takarékbank and MKB Bank, a new financial service provider was formed, MBH Bank. MBH Bank leads in the personal and commercial segments, including current accounts and debit cards, and is especially dominant in smaller towns and…

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly influenced payment habits in Hungary, leading to an increased reliance on cards, online payments and smartphone applications. This trend continued as pandemic-related restrictions were gradually lifted…

In January 2023, the previously separate pockets - accommodation, hospitality and leisure - were consolidated; therefore, the charges associated with these sectors are now aggregated and considered together. Also, in order to expedite the use of…

Retail sales of cooking ingredients and meals in Hungary registered buoyant growth in current value terms in 2023. However, this was due to massive inflationary pressures, rather than any huge upturn in demand. With Hungary having been added to the…

The market for edible oils continues to be dominated by sunflower oil, global prices of which skyrocketed in 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the world’s leading producer. While Hungary produces enough sunflower oil to satisfy its…

Retail volume sales of meals and soups registered continued growth in 2023. With consumers leading increasingly busy lifestyles, there was a growing interest in convenient meal solutions, which boosted demand for products such as ready meals and…